Ben Chamberlain's Inheritance

Chapter Eleven

"She had to go. There was no way I go take such a betrayal from her." Rose thought. She looked at Casey who was doing an assignment on her laptop.

"At least the secret will still remain a secret." She thought.

"Ma'am what do I do with the sausages and the beef?" Mrs. Mendoza came out from the kitchen to ask Rose.

There was no reply from Rose. "Mom! Mom! Mom!. "Casey called.

"Oh! What is it?" Rose asked.

"Mendy was talking to you." Rose said.

"Oh! I am sorry Mendy." Rose apologised.

"It's okay ma'am." 

"What is it?" 

"You said I should let you know once I was done with the sauce for the spaghetti."

"Yea I said so. So how is it with the sausages and the beef?". Rose asked.

"That is what I was asking you about ma'am." Mendy said.

She gave her some instructions and Mrs. Mendoza left. Casey was just looking at her mother. She was wondering what she was thinking about that made her to be unconscious

of her environment.

"Mom, are you alright?" Casey asked her mom

"I am good dear." She replied.

"Mom!" 

"Yes." Rose answered.

"It's been quite a while since I saw aunt Shell."

"Rose's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the name.

She gathered her thoughts and composed herself before answering.

"She went on a trip to Paris to attend a fashion show. "Rose lied.

"And she said nothing to me about it." Casey said.

"I guess she forgot to tell you."

"That is not fair mom." Casey said feigning annoyance.

"You can always give her a call." 

"Okay mom. I surely will do that."

Rose knew that call won't be answered by Shelly bacause the dead don't speak.

Rose's phone rang and it was James who was calling.

"Are you home?" He asked.

"Yes I am." Rose replied and the phone went dead.

Rose was pensive and she answered absent mindedly when Casey told her told her she was going to her room.

..............................................................................

James walked in a few minutes later with a worried look.

"What is it James? You look worried." Rose asked in a very concerned and sincere manner.

James sat down and looked at Rose as if he had something to say but he was finding it hard to spill it out. Rose got up from her seat and went to sit close to him.

"Talk to me love; what is it." She asked soothingly.

"I am sorry for not been sincere with you."

"How do you mean?" She feigned ignorance.

"Hmmm...I lied when I said I didnt know Shelly."

There was a pause as James waited for a response from Rose and when none came he was surprised.

"Won't you say anything?" He asked.

"Rose got up to go pour herself a glass of whiskey.

"I knew all this time that you knew Shelly." She finally said.

"Why didn't you say anything?" James asked with shock written all over his face.

"I wanted to know if you still had any other ulterior motive especially after you came to me with the DNA test result."

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have come to you like that in the first place." He said.

"It's okay. It's something we can let go." Rose said.

"So how did you meet her." Rose asked James while she sipped her drink.

"We met about two months ago." 

James got up to go pour himself a drink.

"She is actually my cousin. I found out at a family dinner, during Thanksgiving." James said.

"Interesting." Rose said.

"I had no idea she knew you until I mentioned your name over the phone one sunny afternoon."

"I see." Rose said as a smile played on her smooth face.

"But why didn't you mention it to me?" Rose asked.

"Shelly asked me not to."

"Typically Shelly. Always secretive." 

"And what did you do to her that made her want to betray you?" James asked.

"It's a long time ago and I prefer not to talk about it."

"Alright then. Speaking of which; I have not been able to reach her for about three days now." James said worriedly.

"I haven't either. The last time we met she told me she was travelling to Paris for a fashion show."

"Oh! I guess she is swpwd with work."

"Yea! She is." Rose said but she knew what had happened to Shelly.

"So is anyone in the house asides you." James asked with a seductive smile that Rose understood. "Casey went out."

"What about your Spanish Maid?" James said sarcastically.

"She is tending to something somewhere around the house.

"James moved close to Rose and started to kiss her. She responded and in a flash they were in Rose's room."Is Gerard not suppose to be back by now?" James asked.

Rose looked at him, "when did you start caring about Gerard?"

"Since, he went away and leaving a pretty woman like you alone at home." 

"I am not alone. I have Casey."

"Of course you know what I mean, Rose." James said.

"I know. I have always been lonely." She said and walked towards.

the window and all she saw was her reflection.

As she twirled the ring on her finger, she staredito recal how she 

became the wife of Gerard Chamberlain.

................................................................................

Flash back begins

"Rose you don't have a choice. You have to marry him." Rose's father was telling her.

"But don't I have a choice in this matter?" Rose asked.

"You don't since his father is responsible for the survival of my company." Rose's father said banging him hands on the table in the dinner room.

"Rose listen to your father." Her mother said.

"You can learn to love him later."

"But mom how can I love him when I don't know him." Rose asked.

"You will with time but know that without Mr. Chamberlain's help we would have gone bankrupt." 

"This is not fair mom. I won't do it." Rose said.

"You will do as I say and that is the final word on this matter." Rose's father said and left, banging the door behind him.

"You shouldn't get your father upset. You know how he is when he is upset."

"But he is beinh selfish right now. He doesn't care how I feel." Rose said crying.

"We all make sacrifices. This is your way of contributing to the good fortune of our family." Rose"s mother said.

Flash back ends

...............................................................................

"I have always been alone since I married Gerard." Rose thought to herself.

James moved towards her and held her from behind.

"What is going through that head of yours." James asked.

"Nothing really. I was just thinking about how I got here."

"Like you said, let's be patient; right?" James said.

"Yea!" Rose said and looked up at him with a smile.

They wallowed in each other's embrace and they later locked lips together in a warm and passionate moment of lust. And they were actually lost in the moment.

They were in their world, alone, so they thought; revelling in the innocence and tranquility of the deceitful love they had for each other.

Unknown to them that tranquility and innocence would soon be destroyed as Gerard became a spectator to the scene that Rose and James were performing as the door was half way closed.